Choices We've Made
by Velirae.1245
Summary: Jack Sparrow does what he thinks is right, leaves Elizabeth to keep her safe. When two years past and he goes back to get her, he'll have to deal with the consequences of his actions. Will she even want him anymore? Post AWE, Sparrabeth. T rating for now.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: A new, very short story. There won't be many chapters, not more than six, and they will all be relatively short. This story will be rated T until around the end, where it will be rated M, or so I'm thinking right now.

This story was written for _Florencia7!!!_ Merry Christmas, Kate!

Disclaimer: Sorry. Nope.

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**Chapter 1:**

Elizabeth shut her eyes and let the Caribbean wind flood past her face, dousing her in the smell of salt and freshness. She could hear the soft chatter of the crew in the background, the creaks and groans of the _Pearl,_ and the lapping of the waved against the hull. She could see little in the darkness of the night, the lanterns and the moon giving off light that only went so far because of the overcast clouds.

Yet, what she was most aware of was the dark, passionate, haunted eyes of the man she loved trained on her back, the heat of his gaze sinking through her and warming her soul.

Against her desire to turn she stood with her hands limp on the railing, watching the sea as it moved past the ship, rippled, and then faded into the darkness. Not yet was she ready to embrace him, her mind fighting against her body's wish to be held. He'd hurt her, and she was scared that she might be hurt again.

Finally he approached her, the echo of his footsteps matching the frantic beat of her rebellious heart. When he was right behind her she spoke, voice soft and not unkind, but not inviting either.

"You should be inside, Jack. You have to heal, you have to rest."

"Lizzie." he rumbled in a husky voice that reached out with burning fingers to thaw her frozen heart. She tried in vain to put them out, not wanting to give in so easily. When she didn't turn around he sighed, then wrapped his good arm around her waist and pulled her back against his chest, locking her there. Even with having been shot in the shoulder, and so one arm in a sling, he was still magnificently strong. "I'm sorry." he told her, whispering into her ear. "I should never have left you. I'd thought it had been what was best for us, what would keep you safe...but I had been wrong. I only hope I didn't come back too late."

She shuddered, wishing to block the horrible memories of the day he'd left her on the docks of a relatively safe port and walked away from her, walked away from everything that had ever been between them. He'd broken her to pieces, and she'd hated him, but she'd never been able to stop loving him. No, never. No matter what he did, no matter how hard she'd tried to get on with her life and not think about what she'd lost, it had never worked. Her mind had been plagued with thoughts about him every single day of the past two years. "It could be." she told her, her voice slightly bitter. "I could have been happily married, could have forgotten you."

"But you aren't and you haven't." he whispered, nuzzling her neck with his nose.

"No." she said, tensing. "I should hate you." It was a wistful statement. "I shouldn't have agreed to come with you again, not after what you did." Turning suddenly on him, she hit one balled fist against his chest, and then the other followed. "You promised we would be together!" she hissed, her eyes glazed with the pain she'd fought to hide for so long. "You promised you would never leave me like that!"

"I had to. The _East India Trading Company_ was after us, and-"

"I don't care! I'm a pirate, Jack, and you _knew_ that! I'm Pirate King, and I'm used to running! Yet you _dumped_ me like, like..."

"Like what?" he asked, catching her wrist as she hit him again, though more weakly than last time. His eyes were unreadable, though she didn't care. She didn't want to try and read him anymore, because when she thought she _finally_ understood him he went and did something unexpected, like leaving her.

"Like you didn't love me." There was silence for a long moment, and when he didn't answer she sucked in a shuddering breath, the sting of rejection strong inside her. "You threw away everything when you left me standing there with nothing but the clothes on my back, Jack Sparrow. You threw away all the memories we ever had, of passion filled nights and fire-lit evenings. You tossed out the tradition of watching the sun rise and set, of holding each other close after the heat of battle...but most of all, you threw away my love for you. You treated it like it was worth nothing to you, and now I know that it isn't." Tears were now falling down her cheeks, her body wracked with grief.

He didn't move, he didn't say anything. What was there to say? He'd been so afraid that he would lose her, he had done what was best to keep her safe, and yet he'd never thought he'd hurt her so much as he saw now. He had always thought that she'd have understood, kept faith that one day, when it was safe, he would come back to her.

"Elizabeth." he mouthed in one last attempt to console and reason with her, but she shook her head.

"No. No, Jack, just leave me alone."

He studied her for a moment, sighed, and then turned, walking away from her for the second time in his life, and finding that it hurt just as much as it had the last time, maybe even more. His heart was numb; it was hard for him to tell.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Thank you for all the charming reviews! Enjoy this next chapter!

Disclaimer: -Checks email- Nope. Sorry.

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**Chapter 2:**

Elizabeth awoke the next morning to the glare of the morning sun that streamed through her window. Her eyes cracked open, and then she grimaced and rolled over onto her stomach, rest her cheek against the mattress and _away_ from the light. Her eyes felt sore, and the bright light only made it worse.

Jack's rejection had hurt more the second time than the first. He'd come back to her, he'd apologized (something he never did!), and yet he still wouldn't admit his feelings for her. It was like he thought that she should already know how he felt about her, that it didn't need saying.

It did, though. Of _course_ it needed saying. _Aloud._ To hear him say that, to know that she meant something to him more than just pleasurable company...it would make her so incredibly happy. It would make her feel actually _wanted_;_ loved._ She never really had felt loved. Perhaps she'd thought she had, when his arms had been around her and he'd whispered how beautiful she was against her neck, but now she realized just how empty she really was. Will, he would have said that he loved her right away, and wouldn't have ever stopped, but Jack wasn't Will. Jack never would _be_ Will.

Somehow, she would have to accept that. In fact, she already had. When she'd picked, three years before, to spend her life with him on the seas, she'd let Will go just as he had let her go. A wonderful year of peace and happiness had surrounded her, except for the occasional times where they had to run for their lives or fight for them, and now that was all gone. It had ended abruptly, before she had wanted it to, the horrible day he'd left her standing there as he'd sailed away, taking her damnable heart with him.

_"Jack!" Elizabeth called, running to catch up with him. A shirt was tucked under her arm, _his_ shirt to be exact. He'd needed it mended and so she'd gone into town when they'd stopped in port, taking it with her so that she could try and find a certain color thread that wouldn't call attention to itself._

_He turned to look at her, waiting on the docks. She reached his side and smiled at him, waving his shirt at him. "My shirt?" he asked softly, his tone a bit odd._

_"Yes. I won't normally do this," she warned, "but I figured that since I ripped it yesterday I'd mend it. It will be as good as new soon enough."_

_"Ah." He pinched the one of the braids of his beard, looking past her for a moment before looking back to her. It had to be done. "Elizabeth, love, could you do me one last favor?" he asked, leaning forward to kiss her. She nodded and pulled back, stuffing the thread and needle into her pocket, but not before making sure she'd not get poked in the process._

_"What would that be?" she asked, glancing over at the crew as they carried crates and things up the gangplank and onto the ship._

_"I need a new pair of boots. The shop is right over there." He pointed, and then pressed a few coins into her hands. "Go and get some for me? I've to stay here and order the crew around, you know how it is, otherwise I'd go instead."_

_"No, it's okay. I'll be back." She stared at him and brushed some hair from her eyes, then leaned up to press a kiss to his lips before turning around, walking back towards the store but unable to stop her find from turning. He seemed....gloomy, almost. Sad. The look in his eyes was different from what she'd seen earlier that morning. Why? She couldn't think of any reason why he would be upset...._

_Stepping into the store, she found the boots he wanted and bought them, then went back down to the docks where she found that all the crew were now bustling up on deck, getting ready to set sail. She walked forward and stopped, noticing that Jack was standing there waiting for her. It was unusual, and so she slowly went forward, then handed his boots to him without a word. He sighed and set them down, then took her by the shoulders, looking straight into her eyes._

_"You're stayin'." he said bluntly. She blinked, confused, at first not understanding._

_"You mean we? Why? I thought we had everything we needed."_

_"No, Elizabeth." Jack said, feeling as if he was dying inside. "I mean _you._ You're staying here, and I'm going. On the _Pearl._"_

_It slowly began to sink in and she stared at him, ice cold fear making its way through her. She grabbed at him, panicking._

_"No! No, Jack! I'm not staying, I'm not!" She shook her head, her voice shaking. She felt like she might cry. "My home is with you, on the _Pearl._ Why do you want me to stay?" Her hands gripped him tightly, his shirt falling to the port, forgotten now._

_"It's too dangerous out there. This port, it's safe. You'll be happy here, comfortable. I've already gotten you lodgings at the nearest inn and left a bag of money on the bed, so you'll be provided for. I cannot have you on my ship anymore, though. Not now."_

_She felt like her world was falling apart around her. It _was_ falling apart around her. "No! You can't." she sobbed, vision burning with tears that she desperately didn't want to shed. She didn't want to give him satisfaction.... "I'm a pirate! I can fight! I'm safe with you around, I'm _happy_ with you around. Jack..." She shook her head frantically. "I love you. Please, I _love_ you! Don't make me go."_

_He hesitated, forever going to hate what he said next. "I don't care about what makes you happy, Miss Swann. I don't care if you love me. Your love is wasted on me." He narrowed his eyes, wanting to hold her but unable to do so. She'd know that he was lying, lying like the selfish bastard he was. "You are a burden to me. You're slowing us down. Nothing but baggage to me that needs to be rid of."_

_The tears she'd tried to hide fell at his harsh words. "Is that what you really think?" she asked, her voice aching. She was hurting so badly, in shock and disbelief, her chest tightening as if someone were tugging on her heart and squeezing her lungs._

_"Yes." His voice was so calm, so honest that she couldn't stop her palm from flying out and slapping him as hard as she could. He didn't make a move to stop her, only sucked in a deep breath, his eyes shut and his head twisted to the side._

_Yes, he'd deserved that._

_Elizabeth clamped a hand over her mouth when she realized what she'd done. Slowly she sank to her knees, gasping for air that seemed to refuse to go into her. She couldn't breathe, instead let her body shake and shudder, her stomach twisting. And then her breath shuddered and she pulled in air, sobs racking her._

_Jack watched, and then turned away, unable to stand her pain, unable to believe that he'd actually caused it. He'd just made the worst mistake of his life, but if it kept her safe....then that was the most important._

_When she was able to look up she saw the crew pull up the gangplank, and then the anchor was pulled up. Slowly she stumbled to her feet, watching as her life and the person whom meant the most to her, sailed away._

_Finally she bent down and gathered up his shirt, then turned and stumbled numbly towards the inn he'd spoken of, just wanting to sleep. He'd come back. He'd come back and apologize and sweep her into his arms, tell her that he'd made the biggest mistake of his life... He'd come. She knew he'd come. He _had_ to come back for her. There wasn't any other option to consider._

But he hadn't. He'd never come back, and she'd never heard about him. For two years she'd waited, but he'd never returned...until one day. Until the day she was about ready to give up on him, to admit to herself that she'd never see him again, that he'd left her life for good. He'd swept in and surprised her, then took her back to the _Pearl_ without letting her say a word. In fact, it was almost as if he'd kidnapped her, as he'd not let her do anything until they were safely out to sea.

She couldn't believe him.

Elizabeth hugged the blankets close to her, burying her nose against her shirt. Well, it wasn't _her_ shirt. It was, in fact, Jack's. She'd stole it from his quarters when he'd been at the helm.

She'd kept his shirt, the one that she had meant to mend the day he'd left her. She'd gotten around to fixing it, and then she'd slept in it every night, finding a little bit of comfort in the lingering smell of rum, spices, and the pure smell of Jack Sparrow. After a year, however, the smell had faded, but still she had never gotten rid of it.

Still, it had been a habit to wear it every night, and not having one of his shirts had been odd, so she'd stolen one.

After all, she was still a pirate.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you for all the reviews! Here is the next chapter! I am so sorry for the long wait. - grimace -

Disclaimer: I do not own Pirates of the Caribbean.

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**Chapter Three:**

After a while of lounging around in bed and wasting time Elizabeth realized that she could not avoid Jack forever. She couldn't hide away in her room and just ignore him, because she knew eventually he'd come to find her instead of her finding him, and she didn't want that. _That_ might end up being worse. If she got up, got dressed, and then went out to help the crew she could both successfully ignore him _and_ keep him satisfied in knowing that she was out and about where he could see her.

With that in mind she got up, then looked down at herself. She had no other clothes to change into, and she certainly couldn't wear what she was wearing now. The breeches had been slept in, and the shirt was Jack's and way too big for her. Still, there was no other option but to wear what she had on. Scowling, she tucked the shirt into her breeches, then went and combed her fingers through her hair, cursing Jack for getting her when she wasn't prepared. She had no extra clothes, no comb, no hair ties, nothing.

So, making due with what she had, Elizabeth slipped out of her room and folded up the sleeves of the shirt. She flipped back her hair, swiped her hand across her face, and then stepped out into the sun.

The crew, having already been at work before dawn, hardly paid any attention to her as she came out and searched for something to work on. When she came over to help splice a few ropes they shuffled around her, ignoring her just as she did the same. She didn't really recognize any of them, but that didn't matter to her. Instead she fell easily into her work, habits of years past quickly coming back to her. Her fingers weaved the rope, her head ducking so that her hair would hide her face from the gaze that seemed to burn into her face. He was watching her as he steered, and it made her feel uneasy.

She worked until lunch shift, and then got to her feet, letting the rope drop from her hands. Her fingers ached and she flexed them, unused to working with them like that. It had been quite a while, and it was only the beginning. Soon, hopefully, she would be climbing up to the crow's next, fixing the masts, and climbing the rigging as she used to do. She had forgotten how much she missed being on the sea, how much she enjoyed being on the _Pearl_ and working with the crew.

Elizabeth moved towards the stairs, desperately wanting to eat something because she'd missed breakfast, and stopped when Jack slid into step beside her. She grit her teeth and glanced over at him, then turned to face him. Ignoring didn't work, she'd have to try a different sort of tactic. "What do you want now, Jack?" she asked quietly, displeasure in her tone.

He smiled calmly, her foul mood not bugging him in the slightest. "T' ask you if you'd like to join me for lunch in me Quarters."

With a snort she pushed past him, but his fingers closing around her wrist made her turn on her heel and glare at him angrily. "Let me go." she hissed, her fingers clenching when he simply shook his head and pulled her toward him. She had no choice but to stumble forward, stopping inches away from him.

"Not a chance, love." he replied, then cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "You really have no choice in the matter, that was an order. I only asked to be polite." She growled something under her breath, and he smirked in amusement. "Cursing doesn't fit you, Elizabeth." Her eyes raised to his, and then she sighed, looking away from him before following when he started walking in the direction of his cabin.

He led her inside and then shut the doors, loosening his grip on her wrist so that she could wander around the room. She wouldn't be able to get away, so he had nothing to worry about. Well, nothing but her anger and stubbornness. He'd have to deal with that somehow.

She walked away from him, and then went over to the bookcase that had been bolted to the wall, trailing her fingertips along the worn and dusty spines. Though she tried, some of the titles simply weren't readable anymore. A frown darkened her already annoyed expression. He didn't take good care of anything. It was as if, after she'd gone, he'd just stopped tending to his possessions.

Pulling one of the books from its place, she went and settled herself in a chair, opening the cover while ignoring him. He could order her to do things against her will, but he could not force her to listen. She refused to listen to anything he had to say, and would not change her mind on that matter. With that in her thoughts, she pretended to read quietly, but even though her eyes scanned over the words none of it processed to her brain. Instead she calmly dissected her situation, trying to find a way out of it, a way to escape. The _Pearl_ had stopped being her home a long time ago, ever since Jack had heartlessly dropped her off and left her all by herself.

So, what had happened? She had been kidnapped and held on ship against her will, and now she wanted a way out. He hadn't even had the nerve to ask if she _wanted_ to come with him. There had been no previous talk between them, not even a hello. She'd been working, lured away from her post at the counter by a loud crash, and then had a bag thrown over her head before being hauled away, screams and cries unfortunately muffled.

Elizabeth continued to fume silently to herself until a knock at the door interrupted her brooding thoughts. She turned her head, watching as Mr. Gibbs handed Jack a tray of food. He looked over at her and smiled apologetically, but she only narrowed her eyes at him. He'd been on the whole thing too. Traitor. She couldn't trust anyone anymore, not even people she'd known since her childhood. It actually hurt to realize that, and she looked away before he could see the wounded expression that crept onto her face.

As Jack passed her, he nonchalantly plucked the book from her fingertips, snapping it shut before he tossed it onto his desk. She grit her teeth, then folded her arms across her chest and leaned back into her chair, turning her head away from him. The smell of food wafted toward her and her stomach rumbled emptily, but even though she'd not had anything to eat since the morning before she only ignored it. He would not be allowed to get to her; she would not allow him to do anything for her. She did not want anything that he could offer her. Not freedom, not a place to call home, not even food or clothing. It all seemed like poison to her now. All the magical memories of him that she had clung to faded after a year of waiting, and all longing for him to return disappeared after two.

Even though she still loved him. Even though she wished she could hate him but never would.

Loving him would always be her curse. She would love him even if he murdered her, and that hadn't been very far from the truth. He had murdered a part of her that day, and then another when he never came back.

"You're not going to eat then, love?" he asked, sitting down and watching her with an unreadable expression in his dark brown eyes. When she didn't answer he sighed. "Ah, I see. You're refusing to eat because I provided it." His expression darkened. "I won't be having you starve, Elizabeth, so I'll give you a choice. You either eat what Mr. Gibbs brought us, or I'll come over there and feed it to you myself. Either way you'll be eating something, whether you like it or not."

"I'd like to see you make me do anything." she shot back, her fingers curling into stubborn fists. However, she winced when he jumped to his feet, leaving her to watch as he leaned over, grabbed a piece of fruit between two fingers, and then stalked toward her. She sprung to her feet as well, skirting around the chair and backing away from him with a wary expression. "Don't you _dare."_ she growled, glancing over her shoulder. His plan, backing her up against the wall, was working...

In the next moment she found herself pinned to the wall, then felt a slice of apple being pressed against her lips. Her mouth set in a hard line and she struggled, but when he pressed his body hard against hers she faltered, whipping her head around to look at him. He met her eyes, and at the twinkle of amusement she saw drew in a breath to tell him off. Upon realizing her mistake she twisted away, but not before he'd snatched the opportune moment and pushed the fruit between her lips.

Victorious, he backed off, leaving her to stand there with a curious look on her face, as if she was pondering over eating it or spitting it out. "Better damn well eat that, love, or I'll just repeat pinning you against things until you stop acting so childish. See, love, as I said before, you'll be eating whether you want to or not. Why? Mostly because at this very moment in time, I do not care what you want. What you _want_ is to run away, which I do happen to respect. After all, that is what us pirates do. However, I believe you yourself said that running is cowardly, and that you should face what you are running from instead of actually, well, running. Savvy? There will be no running away from this." He gestured around to show her what he meant, and then went to sit at his desk, noticing with satisfaction that she was chewing vigorously, even though there happened to be obvious anger in her amber eyes.

"Usually when a person doesn't want to be in a certain place, _Captain Sparrow,_ they leave." Elizabeth spat, wiping her mouth on the sleeve of her (_his!)_ shirt. "Holding them against their will is not only wrong, it could be labeled as kidnapping."

"Nothing I have not done before, love, and probably won't hesitate to do again if I must. Let us cut to the chase, shall we, and skip a rather unnecessary argument about how you wish to leave. _Which,_ I should point out just to make it very clear, you will not be doing unless I say you may. Now, we talk."

"Yes." she agreed after a pause, moving toward him with careful steps, absolutely bristling as she built up, in her mind, the defence she would use against all excuses he could possibly come up with. He would not win this, she _refused_ to allow him to get the best of her. "Yes, Jack Sparrow, now we talk."


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I know. Short. 1,630 words. However, I actually wanted to write Sparrabeth today, so be happy with what you got! I know I am! :) Thank you all for the reviews!

Disclaimer: Nothing.

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Jack nodded nonchalantly as she came to stand before him, and then motioned with a sweeping hand toward one of the chairs. "Take a seat."

"I would prefer to stand." Her eyes swept over him, and then she planted her palms on the flat, map covered surface of his desk, slowly shaking his head. "We may talk, Jack, but nothing you say will make me change my mind. If you would like to try and explain yourself, go right ahead. I will listen. However, nothing to which you could possibly say I will _ever_ agree with."

He gazed at her with an unreadable expression, then stood, walking over to look out the window. Saying nothing, she soon decided that he actually had nothing to say, but before she could call him on it he began to speak.

"I left you because I had to. The _East India Trading Company_ was after us again, as you well know. Even if you don't remember what they can do, I do." He lifted his hand subtly, looking at the vivid white scar of the branded 'P' on his wrist. "A long time ago I found myself caught in their trap; if you recall, I told you that story years ago, when we were still together. They took me in, trained me, and when I did something right, branded me and set my ship on fire. I sold my soul to the devil in order to keep myself alive.

"Beckett always had a grudge against me for that pacific reason. He tried to kill me again, in the whole battle with Davy Jones, but instead of jus' me being in danger, you and dear William were thrown into the mix." With a turn on his heel he looked at her, going to rest his hands against the edge of his desk and sigh. "William I didn't care about. He could fend for himself, as could you. 'M not saying that you couldn't; you are very skilled and stubborn. Still, I did not want to risk your life. I cringed at the thought of having your death on my conscious, even if I wanted to get revenge.

"We were lucky, you and I, to get out of that alive. 'M always lucky, but that luck, I know, never stays for long." He trailed off, and then with a firm expression he shrugged off his coat, draped it over the chair, and then wriggled out of the shirt he was wearing.

Elizabeth watched him with wide eyes, both frightened and dizzy with nostalgia. Seeing him like this, it had been _years._ A slow breath sucked in through her teeth, hands shaking as inches upon inches of sculpted, golden skin became bared to her. For a brief moment an overwhelming urge to touch him washed over her, but as quickly as it came it left, leaving her stunned.

Pressing her hand over her mouth, she felt her eyes fill with tears. The beautiful, ink marked skin, the chiseled muscles, and the healthy glow she remembered seeing before he'd abandoned her, the body she had explored for hours on end... Crossing the distance between them, she reached out one hand, fingers ghosting along angry scars and broken skin, tracing next to blackened punctures and blood-smeared cuts. A sickening feeling grabbed her, squeezed around her stomach, and seconds later she stumbled from him to toss open the windows and get sick.

She slumped over the windowsill, shudders that raked her frame only to be calmed by the feeling of Jack's fingers running through her hair, trailing down her neck, smoothing over her shirt-clad back. "You're wearing my shirt." he whispered, a weird note coming into his roughened voice. Gingerly she pulled herself together, and then stood, shying from his touch before turning to look into his eyes. The heel of her hand pressed against her lips, stifling sobs even as tears burned her vision.

"Who did that to you?" she asked weakly, even though she knew the answer.

"_East India Company."_ he told her evenly, grabbing his shirt and pulling it back on. "None of 'em hurt much anymore, but you need to understand...if I had let you stay with me, they would have tortured you. They would have branded you, raped you, beat you, and then killed you for being a pirate or at least being associated with one." Going to her, he raised one calloused hand and cupped her chin, forcing her to look at him. "They would have killed you, and I wouldn't have stopped until every single one of those worthless, disgusting bastards had suffered for it. _That_ is why I had to leave you, to make sure they wouldn't do to you as they did to me." With that he pulled back before going to tug on his coat. "Even the bravest, strongest, most beautiful pirate," he shot her a meaningful look, "would not have been able to escape their clutches. My luck ran out, and everyone around me had suffered the consequences. _Except_ you."

With a withering sigh he sat down in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose before snatching the rum bottle off his desk. "I don't care if you hate me for leaving you, Elizabeth. If you decide to hate me, then that is your decision. Still, I stand with what I said. I left you to keep you safe, and I came back for you as soon as I could, and that is that."

"You could have just told me." she whispered weakly, but he only shook his head and spun his chair to look at her.

"Nay, love. You would have fought me tooth and nail to stay with me. Kicking, screaming, slapping (which you did do, if I may point out), threatening, even murdering me again. I had to leave you, I had to hurt you. Don't think it was a hasty decision that I made. To the contrary, I put a lot of thought and time into it. Still, every time I came to the same conclusion." He smiled wryly. "You're just too stubborn for your own good, Lizzie."

Looking exhausted, she stood there and watched him, wanting nothing more than to crawl into his arms and seek comfort. It had been long, _so long_, since she had last been _really_ held. Yet, even if he'd explained and showed her why he'd felt the need to leave her, she did not feel one hundred percent convinced. She did not feel like they could simply forget what had happened, and go back to before without a second thought. There needed to be a lot of healing between them, and a _lot_ of trust had to be reestablished, and she actually had to start _believing_ in what he said to her. "I understand, Jack, but I still...I can't forgive you. I would have taken what they had given me, and without a sound, just to be near you. I would have fought non-stop by your side, where I belonged. I'd have given up _everything_ for you." Slowly she shook her head, then rubbed at her face with her palms. "None of that really hurts, though. I could get over that easily, but there is...there is something else."

"Elizabeth?" He searched her face, trying to figure out what she kept trying to say, but not able to. "What else?"

Slowly, feeling ill, she looked to him. "There was a baby."

Jack's eyes darkened with an unknown expression. "A baby..." he echoed slowly. "Your baby?"

"Yes. My baby." Her teeth sank into her lower lip. "Not just my baby, Ja-"

"No, _obviously._" he returned, taking a long swig of rum. "Usually takes two people to make a child." His eyes shut for a moment, and then he looked to her. "You wanted to go back...is this why? Because you have a lover and a child to return to?"

"Ja-" He cut her off with a wave of his hand.

"No, Elizabeth, I understand. Should have asked." His expression darkened even further, and she shied away from him, desperate to tell him but afraid of what he would say to her. "You may leave now." She watched as he motioned to the door, and then watched as he turned from her to study some maps on his desk. Frustration welled inside her, and without thinking she marched over to him, took the rum from his hand and threw it across the room, and then grabbed his face in her hands when he looked at her.

"Don't you _dare." _she hissed, tears welling in her eyes again though she fought to keep them at bay. "How could you even- How could you even think I would ever be with another man like that?" Slowly Elizabeth shook her head. "No, Jack. I was with no other. Never. Couldn't even think about doing something like that."

"Then, you mean-"

"Aye. My baby, _our_ baby." she whispered, then watched as he shut his eyes and took in a deep breath. The silence that followed threatened to crush her. Her hands trembled and she pulled away from him, taking a few steps back before wiping at her cheeks. "I...I'll go now." When he said nothing she spun around and fled the room, slamming the door shut behind her before seeking out a place he'd never look for her. His rejection toward her love for him hurt, but knowing he hadn't wanted a baby that they made together...that stung even more.


End file.
